Professor Robert Henry

Institute Director

Overview

DNA-based methods for identification of plants and their pathogens, development of molecular markers for plant breeding and the genetic transformation of plants, application of DNA technology to the improvement of the quality of crops and agricultural and food products. Analysis of wild-plant populations, especially in Australia, to support their conservation & use in agriculture or forestry, development of significant methods for analysis of plant carbohydrates (sugars, starch & cell-wall polysaccharides)

Professor Robert Henry, is a graduate of the University of Queensland, B Sc (Hons), Macquarie University, M Sc (Hons) and La Trobe University (Ph D). In 2000 Professor Henry was awarded a higher doctorate (D Sc) by UQ for his work on analysis of variation in plants.

Before being appointed QAAFI Director in May 2010, he was Director of the Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics at Southern Cross University, a centre which he established in 1996. Other previous positions held by Professor Henry include Research Director of the Grain Foods Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) (until 2010) and Research Program Leader in the Queensland Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (until 1996).

Some of his earlier roles include: working with CSIRO on fruit and vegetable biochemistry; a Cereal Chemist with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, including research into the quality of malt and barley for brewing; a Senior Principal Scientist with the Queensland Wheat Research Institute, where he played a major role in grain quality research, and a Post Doctoral fellow working on cell biology and genetics at the National Institute of Agrobiological Resources in Japan.

Professor Henry’s speciality research area is the study of agricultural crops using molecular tools. He is particularly interested in Australian flora and plants of economic and social importance and has led the way in research into genome sequencing to capture novel genetic resources for the diversification of food crops to deliver improved food products.

Research Interests

Research Interest OverviewMy research seeks to improve food and energy security by applying biochemical and molecular tools to the development of improved crop varieties. This research involves analysis of domesticated crops, wild relatives of crop species and potential new crop species.
Research aims to define the basis of human selection for quality in food and non-food crops. These traits are critical to satisfying food and energy security because new plant varieties that may have higher yields may not be accepted for production by farmers if they fail to meet consumer expectations of quality and as a result are not marketable.
Current research focuses on the major global food crops, rice and wheat and the leading current and potential energy crops, sugarcane and Eucalypts.
Analysis of nutritional and functional characteristics ranges from determination of human preferences for properties of foods from bread to coffee and the chemical composition that determines the suitability of plant biomass for biofuel or biomaterial production.
Whole genome sequencing and targeted sequencing of the functional parts of the genome allow associations between genetic variation and important traits to be established. Chemical and biochemical dissection of vital traits is facilitated by linking genetic variation at the whole genome level to function at the biochemical and molecular level.

CoffeeCoffee is an important cash crop for farmers in developing countries. In Australia coffee consumption has grown and a small local industry is targeting high value and high quality coffee products. Collaboration in an international consortium has allowed a reference coffee genome sequence to be produced.

RiceRice is a major human food originally domesticated in Asia. Wild rice in Australia is a major source of genetic diversity to support sustainable rice production globally. The Australian populations have uniquely escaped the genetic pollution from domesticated rice that has impacted wild rice growing in Asia. Whole genome analysis of Australian wild rice is being used to better understand rice domestication and make this diverse genetic resource available for increased rice food security worldwide.

WheatFood security demands an accelerated rate of genetic improvement of major food crops such as wheat and rice. Wheat genes determining traits important for human use in production of bread and other food products are essential in commercial wheat production. These traits have been considered complex and selection for quality characteristics has limited the rate of genetic improvement of wheat. Genomics is being used to increase understanding of the genetic basis of these traits removing this constraint to more rapid improvements in wheat varieties and production globally.

EucalyptsEucalypts are a diverse group of Australian species that have been planted in many countries for a wide range of uses. Eucalypts have been grown for solid wood, pulp for paper, and a source of firewood. Research uses our growing understanding of the Eucalypt genome to support selection of Eucalypts.

SugarcaneSugarcane is a major industrial crop providing a source of energy, fuel and sugar. Research aims to deliver increased understanding the sugarcane genome and discovery of the genetic control of traits that are important in developing sugarcane as an energy crop.

Rangan, Parimalan, Furtado, Agnelo and Henry, Robert J. (2017) The transcriptome of the developing grain: A resource for understanding seed development and the molecular control of the functional and nutritional properties of wheat.
BMC Genomics,
18 1: 766-776. doi:10.1186/s12864-017-4154-z

Cronin, James K., Bundock, Peter C., Henry, Robert J. and Nevo, Eviatar (2007) Adaptive climatic molecular evolution in wild barley at the Isa defense locus.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,
104 8: 2773-2778. doi:10.1073/pnas.0611226104

HENRY, RJ and BLAKENEY, AB (1988) EVALUATION OF A GENERAL-METHOD FOR MEASUREMENT OF (1-]3), (1-]4)-BETA-GLUCANS.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE,
44 1: 75-87. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740440109

HENRY, RJ (1985) USE OF A SCANNING NEAR-INFRARED REFLECTANCE SPECTROPHOTOMETER FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE MALTING POTENTIAL OF BARLEY.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE,
36 4: 249-254. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740360404

DARBYSHIRE, B and HENRY, RJ (1979) ASSOCIATION OF FRUCTANS WITH HIGH PERCENTAGE DRY-WEIGHT IN ONION CULTIVARS SUITABLE FOR DEHYDRATING.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE,
30 11: 1035-1038. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740301103

Sarac, H. Z. and Henry, R. J. (1998). Use of cereals in aquaculture production systems. In: A. B. Blakeney and L. O'Brien, Pacific people and their food.
5th Pacific Rim Symposium in conjunction with the 48th Australian Cereal Chemistry Conference of the Royal-Australian-Chemical-Institute, Cairns, QLD, Australia, (193-217). 13-22 August 1998.